Table 2. Frequency of selected features in cases and controls in the whole study population.
| Clinical feature | Cases, n (%), n=7471 | Controls, n (%), n=32877 | Likelihood ratio (95% CI) | PPV as a percentagea (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Symptoms
| ||||
| Dysphagia | 2420 (32.4) | 185 (0.6) | 57.6 (49.7–66.7) | 1.5 (1.3–1.8) |
| Dyspepsia | 1294 (17.3) | 764 (2.3) | 7.5 (6.8–8.1) | 0.2 (0.19–0.22) |
| Nausea or vomiting | 979 (13.1) | 637 (1.9) | 6.8 (6.1–7.4) | 0.18 (0.17–0.2) |
| Abdominal pain | 905 (12.1) | 1310 (4.0) | 3.0 (2.8–3.3) | 0.08 (0.08–0.09) |
| Reflux | 842 (11.3) | 513 (1.6) | 7.2 (6.5–8.0) | 0.19 (0.18–0.22) |
| Chest pain | 727 (9.7) | 1589 (4.8) | 2.0 (1.9–2.2) | 0.05 (0.05–0.06) |
| Epigastric pain | 617 (8.3) | 266 (0.8) | 10.2 (8.9–11.8) | 0.28 (0.24–0.32) |
| Loss of weight | 615 (8.2) | 276 (0.8) | 9.8 (8.5–11.3) | 0.26 (0.23–0.31) |
| Constipation | 608 (8.1) | 1073 (3.3) | 2.5 (2.3–2.8) | 0.07 (0.06–0.07) |
|
Investigations
| ||||
| Low haemoglobin | 2045 (27.4) | 3353 (10.2) | 2.7 (2.6–2.8) | 0.07 (0.07–0.08) |
| Abnormal hepatic enzymes | 1272 (17.0) | 3479 (10.6) | 1.6 (1.5–1.7) | 0.04 (0.04–0.05) |
| Raised inflammatory markers | 1010 (13.5) | 1421 (4.3) | 3.1 (2.9–3.4) | 0.08 (0.08–0.09) |
| Raised cholesterol | 920 (12.3) | 5180 (15.8) | 0.8 (0.7–0.8) | 0.02 (0.02–0.02) |
Abbreviations: CI=confidence interval; PPV=positive predictive value. aPPV in the consulting population.